


The End of the World as we know it

by Robin_P



Category: Toy Story (Movies)
Genre: Apocalypse, Character Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23617078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robin_P/pseuds/Robin_P
Summary: The (magical) apocalypse happens. The toys pick up the pieces.
Relationships: Bo Peep/Woody Pride, Jessie/Buzz Lightyear
Comments: 9
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

Buzz noticed the shimmer on Jessie first. She always shone brightly in his eyes, but now it seemed she sparkled.

Maybe it was the Sheriff's badge, maybe he was just getting old, maybe he was missing Woody more than usual...

He had thousands of excuses for not saying anything when he noticed, a thousand reasons to blame himself later on.

Bonnie was going into third grade, and there had been a lot of changes in Bonnie's room. Mostly new additions, as Bonnie grew older, but some loses.

Not as many as Buzz expected, and not in the manner they all feared. Bonnie parents were very firm in that unwanted toys were to be passed on to someone who would want them, so once a year Bonnie's mother would go through all of Bonnie's toys, and ask Bonnie if any were ready to go to a new home.

It was different from Andy's mum, who would go in while Andy or Molly were away and thin out the crowd of toys.

It was kinder, and Bonnie would say goodbye, and make up stories about the adventure they were going on.

Toys didn't get thrown away in Bonnie's room. If they broke, and they did on occasion, Bonnie did her best to repair them, or take them to her parents to repair.

Of course, toys got lost, Bonnie always forgot something, but the gang that used to be Andy's had gotten rather good at rescue under Woody's leadership, and Buzz wasn't going to let Woody down, even if he wasn't there anymore.

Bonnie was always such an active child, it wasn't like Buzz spent much time thinking about the shimmers.

Not when Slinky's wire got shinier, not when the night didn't seem as dark as it used to, not when the dust mites took on a distinctive golden tone.

Not even when Bonnie got sick.

After all, why would a space ranger know what magic looked like?

\---

Ducky and Bunny were sick.

Normally, toys didn't get sick, but Woody wasn't sure what else to call it.

Being a Lost toy had it's disadvantages at times, and this was one of them, it was much harder for a plushie to stay clean, or even get clean, than if they had humans to look after them.  
At least, Woody assumed that was the problem.

They kept dozing off, or zoning out, and Woody was sure nothing had happened to them lately to cause the Waking Nightmares some older toys were prone to.

The simplest answer, or rather the one they needed to act on quickly, was something had gotten into their stuffing and they needed a proper clean.

Which meant laundry.

Which meant sneaking behind the midway and finding if one of the caravans for staff had a washing machine.

So far, none of them had, and Woody was having some serious doubts about using one, if they found it.

If Ducky and Bunny had something in their stuffing, then he probably did too…

Only a ragdoll with plastic parts, fraying fabric and ancient stuffing probably wouldn't fair too well in the whirlpool of doom.

If he had the same thing, if he was infected, if, if, if…

A shimmer caught his eye, his hands reflecting the dawn's light.

"I don't wanna!"

And Ducky was awake.

Woody leapt down from the window still he had been perched on, darting beneath the caravan, and climbing up the tarpaulin's pole, over the edge and slipping in an open window.

Duke was circling the plushie pair, Bunny looking dazed, Ducky was panicking, and a miniature laundry machine set up beside the sink.

"It's for your own good." Bo was saying, making calming motions.

"Then you get in! See how you like it!" Ducky slashed his free hand, pulling away from the sink.

Bo didn't sigh, but Woody could tell she wanted to. There was something about her eyes…

Duke charged the pair, his motorcycle rearing up, Bunny stumbled backwards…

"Stop!" Woody yelled, causing Bunny to swing around, his partner going flying, and Duke taking a dive off the countertop.

Woody and Bo winched at the sound, pausing a moment to see if any humans noticed.

Bo gestured, 'coast clear, human out.'

"Woody?" Bo queried, eye raised. He had better have a good reason.

Woody glanced at the machine, "It's time locked. We won't be able to get out if a human turns up."

"Huh" Bo said softly. I suppose that's a good point, her look said.

"We?" Ducky almost growled, "We! Are! Not! Going! In! There!"

"Buddy…" Bunny sighed, trailing off as he kept doing.

"Of course not." Woody agreed, "Didn't I just say that?"

Two very tired, confused plushies looked at him. Then each other.

"Did he?" One whispered.

"I don't know, did he?" Said the other.

Woody rolled his eyes.

"Then what do you suggest, cowboy?" Bo asked.

"There's soap, right? We'll run the hot water, and wash up. It'll be like a bubble bath. Rex says they're fun." Woody climbed down, keeping his voice low and reassuring.

"Right, fun." Ducky said dryly, "Wet, and itchy and heavy."

"Would I lie to you?" Woody asked, slipping down the edge of the sink. After a moment consideration, Woody took off his hat and used it to pull down the tap handle.

Woody jumped back with a half bitten off curse as the water started. "See, it's fine." He said, falsely cheerful. He scooted around the water to kick the plug into place, and tried not to shiver as the water started to fill the sink.

"Sheriff…" Bo whispered softly, but Woody pretended not to hear.

"Bo, would you be so kind as to get the soap powder?" Woody asked. "Ducky, Bunny, are you going to join me?" He held out a hand towards them.

The pair were watching him, so Woody held still. They were afraid, that was clear enough, but being washed didn't have to be a bad thing.

"You're… going to stay in the water with us?" Ducky asked, as if it was a completely alien concept.

"I need a wash as much as you do." Woody agreed, the water was up to his knees now, and he could already feel it soaking into his stuffing. He was going to take forever to get dry again.

"But… why?" Bunny asked.

"Trust me?" Woody asked, his other hand ran through the water, "Everything is going to be okay."

\---

Later, perched high as they could reach in their sodden state, which to be honest wasn't that high at all, Woody gazed out towards the sunlit town, watching the glimmering dust motes in the air. There seemed to be a lot of them, but maybe it was just the season, or the town.

It always surprised him how different the air could be from place to place.

The town was quietly waking up, but it didn't seem as busy as it should. He didn't pay much attention to the days anymore, but he was sure it was a Wednesday or Thursday, the carnival usually arrived in the middle of the week, ready for the weekend.

Ducky and Bunny seemed content to lie in the sun, after straining out what water they could. Woody was sure they would dry out quicker than he would, the younger plushies usually did. Then they would be back to their usual rambunctious selves, planing their next bit of crazy.

Woody wanted to make sure they were okay first, it was risky what they did, and the humans were more likely to catch them if they froze up or shuttered in the middle of a mission.

One week wouldn't make that much difference, the question was did they leave the pair behind this weekend, or put them where it wouldn't matter if they wasn't all there?

Maybe wait and see how they behaved once they dried out. There was no rush. No child likely to dash in at any moment expecting everything to be as she left it, no parents doing a quick clean and tidy up, no younger sister poking around in her brother's room.

It still felt a bit strange being his own toy after decades of having an owner, and it hit him in the quiet moments.

"Heavy thoughts cowboy?" Bo nudged him.

Woody smiled, and leaned into her. "Just thinking how lucky I am."

She laughed softly, "After wrestling those rascals into their first proper bath?"

He twined his hand with her's, "To have the time to do so." He grinned then, "Did I ever tell you about the time Rex flooded Bonnie's home?"


	2. Chapter 2

The Carnival was silent.

The Carnival was never silent.

There was always someone about, even when it wasn't open to customers, the staff were a noisy bunch, always talking, there was always something to be fixed, or put together, or taken apart.

It was reassuring to see the head Engineer check over every ride before they packed up, and after they set up, and her pair of ducklings that followed her everywhere when they didn't have their hands in the guts of an engine.

The Carnival was it's own little community, and while Woody wasn't going to get overly attached to any of them, he remembered their names, the way they moved, their tempers.

The Boss was a solid looking man, with a fondness for machinery and an understanding look for any of his people who got into trouble, and a narrow eyed glare at outsiders causing trouble that more often than not turned into cheerful gallantry.

More than one teenager had wandered off wondering what had happened, drama queens had left laughing, and rowdy drunks often ended up crying into his shoulder.

That a pickpocket had been tossed into the communal kitchen, fed their full of sausages and grits, shanghai'd into peeling potatoes, before spilling their life story, just convinced Woody that the Boss was of a similar mindset to him.

He wasn't too sure what that mindset was, but the Boss clearly believed in helping people, and if that meant a few of the trickier games got caught out of prizes once in a while, well clearly they needed to change things up.

He expected to be happy with Bo, expected being a Lost toy to be hard but interesting and rewarding, he didn't expect to find he could grow fond of humans that were old and world weary and just getting on with things.

The kids sure, it was a toy's job to look out for kids, their noble duty to be there for them, to bear witness to their highs and their lows. To be a friend when it felt like the world was a dark and scary place. 

Adults were just there, dangerous, obstacles to be worked around.

And now they were gone.

The silence was unnerving, Woody had never known a town to go completely silent.

Silence shattered with a scream. Howling. Shattering glass.

Golden dust swirled in the air above the town and Woody couldn't move, he watched as it swirled and streamed with intent.

"Bo!" He yelled, running for their hideaway, as metal strained beneath him, and a door was torn apart.

Something snarled. 

"Woody!" 

Woody dived beneath the utility box, as something heavy went thud, and again, footsteps more like a bear than a human.

Woody peeked out, the shimmering dust whirling around what seemed to be a monster, heavy bear like shape, snarling, claws fit to tear metal, let alone an old rag doll.

Woody backed up, sliding around the edge until someone yanked him inside the crack in the wall.

He didn't scream, but his empty chest felt like it should be hammering away.

"What was that!" Someone demanded.

"A bear, a real bear." Bo declared before anyone could crack a joke.

"No." Woody said, he could still hear the crunch of metal, although the screams seemed to have quieted, he tried not to think about why, "It came from inside the caravan, we would have noticed someone putting a bear in there."

"That doesn't make sense." Bo said, as her sheep baa'd their agreement.

Woody shook his head, "We need to help them."

"Help who?" Giggles asked, her face going hard and Woody paused a moment, seeing that same hard face on Bo as well.

His eyes took in the others, Ducky and Bunny were quietly determined, but he wasn't going to trust their judgement any time soon, Duke looked ready to ride, but the girls…

"We need to see what's happening." Woody said.

Bo nodded. "Agreed. But we're not putting ourselves in danger, right Woody?"

Woody smiled, and tipped his hat "Now Bo, you know me better than that."

She sighed, but smiled. "Come on guys, let's go find us a crow's nest."


	3. Chapter 3

Forky screamed.

Buzz shot out of a peaceful sleep. 

If he had any, blood would be curdling in his veins.

Jessie leapt up, yelling. The others were stumbling into wakefulness.

Buzz's gaze shot a dozen different ways, trying to find the danger.

Forky hadn't screamed like that in years.

Forky was tumbling off the bed, still screaming, as another toy, a new toy? Inched her way to the edge.

No Bonnie? Where was Bonnie?

Jessie grabbed Forky and dove under the bed, the screams cutting off aburptly.

The door slammed open, and something growled.

Instinct had Buzz dropping, but these wasn't Bonnie's parents. He rolled across the room, using his momentum to swing off Bonnie's chest of drawers and onto the bed.

The new toy looked terrified, staring up at the intruders.

They were big, dark fur, snarling teeth.

Buzz snagged her arm and rolled them off the bed as the creatures leapt for her.

She rattled as they hit the floor, and Buzz quickly glanced around, making sure everyone else had made for cover, before pulling her behind the bedside table.

A clawed paw reached for them, leaving marks on the wall.

The new toy shivered beside him, backing away even as she rattled.

"Shush" Buzz whispered, lifting her up slightly so she stopped rattling, inching along the skirting board.

The table toppled over, hundreds of bits and pieces spilling everywhere.

It was going to take forever to sort out the game pieces from the hair bands and crafty bits.

Think later, danger now!

He stuffed the new toy in the gap between wall and bed, standing between her and the monster.

Golden glowing eyes stared down at him. The side table was pushed away.

A snarl as the beast tried to shift the bed.

A claw swiping downwards.

A spine chilling howl.

The monster looked away.

It leapt.

The window shattered.

Silence.

Was it over?

What had happened?

"Buzz Lightyear?" The new Toy asked.

Buzz cleared his throat and moved away from the bed, offering a hand to help pull her out. "Well, yes ma'am, I am Buzz Lightyear. Pleased to meet you."

She stared at him, in something like awe. She took his hand and gracefully stepped down.

He brushed some of the dust off her shoulders. Her hair had a bit of spider web in it.

"I think the danger has passed." He informed her.

"This is a really strange dream." She commented.

Ah, Buzz thought and shuffled uncomfortablely, "I've been told it's polite to offer your name?"

"Buzz, don't you recognise me? It's me, Bonnie."


	5. Chapter 5

Monsters roamed the streets.

The Lost Toys took to the roof tops, avoiding the chaos below.

Caution was thy name, Woody thought, as he watched one brute tear open a car, it twisted like it had been in the worse sort of car wreak, gasoline puddling beneath as the monster grew bored and moved off down the street.

There was too many of them, howling and snarling and taking offence at the presence of too many bodies in the street.

They didn't all look the same, beyond the basics, teeth, claws, dense fur.

Some were dog-like, tumbling around like over excited puppies, some moved like cats, sharp sudden movements, gleaming eyes taking in everything around them, some like bears, a slow plodding along until something got in their way, after which the something would never bother anyone again.

While he didn't want to cross any of them, he thought the cat types would be most dangerous, they tended to take the high ground and seemed more watchful than the others.

He didn't plan to test his theory.

He glanced at Bo, her gaze caught quite firmly below, the look of calculation could give him pause some days, but he was sure she was thinking the same things as him.

Ducky and Bunny looked like they were caught in a nightmare and not entirely sure what they were seeing was real. That was fair enough when they hadn't had a chance to catch their breath after being sick.

Giggles was watching them more than the monsters below. Maybe she thought she was too small and compact for such large beings to hurt her. Or maybe she knew panic would kill surer than any monster.

Duke was fidgeting, his bike pacing back and forth, random half formed tricks being formed and discarded. If anyone was going to panic, it would probably be Duke, but sometimes the daredevil didn't consider the same things to be dangerous, failure and the fear of it being worse than possible death and dismemberment.

"Alright." Boo said, keeping her voice low as she backed away from the edge. "The world's gone mad."

"Where are all the humans?" Woody dropped the question no one wanted to ask.

Bo tapped her hand against her leg, weighing up the possibilities. Woody let her think, he thought the answer was obvious, but it sounded so crazy in his head he didn't want to say it aloud.

"Maybe they were eaten?" Bunny offered.

Woody glanced over, the younger toys seemed to be considering that idea.

"There's no blood." Bo said. "Humans bleed. We would see it if…"

"There would be human fluff all over the place?" Ducky asked.

Sometimes Woody forgot how innocent they were.

"Yes." Bo agreed shortly, "but it's red and wet." Somehow she kept her voice steady, but it was something they needed to know.

The monsters all seemed to be moving in one direction, more meandering than purposeful, but still.

"We should check inside." Woody said, "Talk to the locals."

Bo looked relieved at the interuption, "Yes. Anyone see a child's bedroom?" She started scanning the street again, focused on the windows this time.

Woody turned her and pointed. "Rainbow in window" the sweep of colour a sharp contrast to the dark houses surrounding it.

Bo smiled, "And there's a bear." She waved at the stranger, the poor plushie sitting in a web of string.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dolly's nightmare of a day

Dolly can't move. She can't think. There's howling outside, it's not just the wind, there's a monster roaming the streets.

It broke into their home!

She couldn't do anything!

Just shiver on her shelf while Forky screamed and glass shattered and it all happened so fast!

"Where's Bonnie?"

"The monster got her!"

"Just look at this mess."

"It must have eaten her!"

"Dad's not gonna be happy."

"Maybe the monster took her to it's evil lair!"

The toys below is spilling out over the floor, disregarding the danger, the door is open, off it's hinges, the humans…

She can hear alarms sounding all over the neighborhood, hear the howls, and things breaking.

Her gaze flickers downwards, and feels a surge of unexpected anger, it's mostly Andy's toys talking.

If course it is, Slinky examining the broken window, Hamm, Mr Potatohead and Buttercup snarking at each other, Trixie working Rex up into a panic to hide her own

Times like this, she almost missed Woody. At least he had a smidgen of common sense. 

Mr Picklepants was hissing at them, she couldn't hear what he was saying.

No Bonnie.

No parents either, which was… odd.

Where were they?

She should go down there. The humans wouldn't be surprised if she was found on the floor in this mess.

Jessie and Forky crawled out from under the bed, and she could see Jessie doing her own checks, even as Forky clung to her side.

The monster was gone. It wasn't coming back. Bonnie was missing. Mom and dad hadn't responded to the noise.

It wasn't safe.

Close enough.

Dolly pushed the books off her shelf, sliding down on top of them. (She had wanted to do that forever!)

She smiled as she hit the ground and bounced, as brief as it was.

"Dolly!" Trixie rushed over to her, giving her a quick once over, then tilting her head at Dolly. "Was that fun?" She smirked but Dolly can barely look at her.

"Cupboard. Now." Dolly snaps. 

Distantly, Dolly can acknowledge the hurt on Trixie's face.

"Now, wait…" Rex falters at her look, he's always backed down before, "Buzz." He stomps his feet.

"We're waiting for Jessie and Buzz" Mr Potatohead states, folding his arms.

Usually she finds their loyalty cute. 

Today is not that day.

"Humans." It comes out flatter than she expects. She half expected a growl.

Andy's toys are all looking at her with that same look Woody used to give her. Like she's missed something obvious.

Hamm snorts, "We'll hear them long before they get here."

"Mom and Dad…" she starts.

"Aren't coming." It's Slinky who interupts, attention more on the window, the outside, than her. 

"We've been abandoned?" Dolly flinches a bit from Forky's shrill tones, the strange toy clinging to Jessie's hand. They look like they've been crawling through dust bunnies, Jessie is clearly shaken, her eyes not seeing the now 

She's the leader. She's in charge. When did she lose control?

"It doesn't matter." Dolly states, "We need to take our places. There's nothing we can do."

Even as she says it, she knows she loses them. Their eyes harden. They turn away.

It's Woody all over again.

Except this time, they don't even pretend to listen to her.

A small voice breaks through her dark thoughts.

"Why are you fighting?" 

It's so sad, that Dolly is instantly drawn to comfort. "Oh sweetie…"

It's a new toy. A new doll. Buzz is standing behind her looking awkward.

He coughed, "May I introduce Bonnie?" He gestures at the doll, "Bonnie the toy." He continues, "She very definitely knows she's a toy." 

There's a snigger, and Buzz glares as the others shuffle.

But Bonnie…

Dolly doesn't sigh, as much as she wants to. "We have to find Bonnie. What do we do?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My grandad recently passed. I'm not sure when I will be back. There's more story to be written, but rather more difficult to write right now.


End file.
